DVC 19 - The Masked Assassin - Lorinda Norton

[Lorinda Norton]

This film was a new experience for me in that I handed over many of the responsibilities to others. And I think I rather enjoyed it, which means I’ll most likely be working this way from now on if enough people are available. Love not having as much pressure, plus it ups my game some.

My son gave me a story idea based on some reality show his wife watches about buying wedding dresses. He said it might be funny to use the concept only with criminals buying masks. Morgan Ricks heard the idea and said he’d write a story, then his interest in assassins took over and this was the metamorphosis.

My brother (who directed) and I talked about the ending quite a bit. I told him you guys would ding me for bringing the audience into the story, but he said a simple fade out seemed too boring and I agreed, so…there we have it.

Wish I hadn’t botched the first scenes of the movie by not having light--what a mistake to hope that street lights would be enough. Worse, I knew better and tried it anyway! But speaking of light, in the art gallery we used [exclusively] the Diva Ring Light and stand I bought from Guy Cochran at www.dvestore -- the same one he’s giving to the winner of best film. Love it! And so will whoever wins it.

Hope you enjoyed watching our film. By the way, having a setting in a wine shop is an easy way to get out of bringing stuff to drink for cast and crew. My mom provided snacks and I opened a tab for everyone…worked out great!

[Marc Burleigh]

Lucky you to have so many people ready to help out! That's the evolution of filmmaking, right? Start out filming yourself one day, then move all the way up to executive producing and telling your casting director which actors you want in which roles while the director of photography bustles about getting you a double latté with a lemon twist and a fold-up chair with your name on it.

I like your two first ideas: a couple of criminals shopping around for their hold-up masks, and not breaking the fourth wall. That would have been fun to watch: a Tarantino-esque bickering scene over who gets the "cool" mask and who has to wear the dainty fairy one.

By the way, that's probably the first time I've seen a gallery owner turn down a certain sale. Even if he does have a hired killer walking through his door to pick up a prop, wouldn't he try to come back to the sale at a later time?

[Mugurel Dragusin]

The opening made me think Tarantino for some reason, perhaps the music and the general setting. Cool stuff indeed!

I think the lighting in the park was just fine, perhaps the camera wasn't able to handle the low light and adding some light, unless you had plenty, would only spoiled the shot, eventually ending up like some desperate newscaster trying to get the shot :)

I do find the light in the art store to be too much or without creating some area of interest by shading (hey, just my thoughts) :)
I did find the lighting in the office with the Japanese to be much better.

As for the premise, something with the potential to be developed though. Delegating is a great idea when you've got the manpower on your tab :P

[Lorinda Norton]

Thanks for the insights, guys.

So Mugurel, you could actually see the opening? I struggled with it because once it was uploaded the outdoor segments were almost black on one monitor, and on another one it was too light. (I had bumped up the levels in post figuring it would be too dark on YouTube.) It was very frustrating.

As for the gallery scene, my friend running the camera that day wanted to add hair lights but he got overruled because I didn't have the right lights with me and the one was too much. We flagged the bottom half of the ring light, yet to you it looks like "too much"-- and maybe flat? Interesting. I'll have to be more careful about that.

[Mugurel Dragusin]

Lorinda, yes I could see the beginning just fine, I must say I have a properly calibrated monitor as mainly doing graphics asks for such.

In regards to the lighting at the art gallery, yes, flattening would be the issue. I am aware of your much more experience than me but I shall say my opinion just the same: If I were there (and in charge of the lights), I would of turned off some of the ceiling lights, add some light at the floor level. The office scene has those light spotting areas I am talking about. I am aware that the art gallery was much bigger space, thus harder to control lighting wise, but doable on the cheap, how I wish I'd be there :)

On the office scene, I can even see the lamp shade casting a shadow, that was a nice touch and it enriches the scene.

Forgot to mention the mask which I find hilarious! I can imagine the fun you guys had poking jokes as him :P

[Lorinda Norton]

Sorry to keep bugging you with questions but I really want to figure out some things. So if you could see the opening scenes just fine, is it a good thing that I bumped up the levels beyond what I would have liked?

Also, on my monitor, there is some shading and depth on the gallery scene when the guys are standing at the counter looking in the box--it doesn't look flat to me.

But I know what you're saying because I took extra pains with the lighting in the Japanese scene, plus we added light for the outdoor scenes on the credits, and I do like them better.

I laughed when I read your suggestion about turning off the overhead lights. That old building must have been built on the cheap--the lights can only be turned off at the breaker box, which meant we wouldn't have had power for anything else. Guess I should have bought some black paper and covered them. :)

[Mugurel Dragusin]

Lorinda, hope you don't mind, I took the liberty to re-light your scene a bit towards supporting my points :)

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3967/lightingw.png

Given the situation in your opening scene, seems pumping up the levels was your only option. What was the f-stop used on the opening scene? From what I see, you have already went at the limit with the levels, more would only bring up more noise.

Old buildings, I get it, you had serious limitations in there, doable but perhaps more work than would worth it :) What I have done in my example, could be achieved with motion as well, yet takes a bit of skill to do so, but guess that would make your editing time tenfold.

[Lorinda Norton]

Ah yes, much better, and easily done on set if I had used the light I had sitting idle across the room. Thanks! :)

[Bruce Foreman]

One thing I really enjoyed was the quality of acting you had throughout the whole thing. And the conversation in Japanese between the "family" members and the subtitles was hilarious, those two managed to act it just right.

Now as to your lighting problems: May be time to come into the DSLR age. Your opening scenes, while lighting levels were probably very low, is where these DSLR's really "shine" with the right lenses. Even with that much maligned 18-55mm "kit" lens on the T2i, some decent work can be done outdoors at night, with the 24mm f2.8 or the 28mm f1.8 it can look like "miracles" were accomplished.

You do have to take computer "horsepower" into account also but there are "workarounds" if that is a problem.

Overall, I liked your premise and the way your "crew" handled it. Congratulations on getting so many involved in a way that works for you.

[Mugurel Dragusin]

Alternative suggested framings and lighting:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6...htingframe.png
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/4509/lighting1.png

Enjoyed your locations and got inspired, I thought they have potential :)

[Lorinda Norton]

Thanks again, Mugurel. :)

Bruce, I'll be sure and tell all the people in this film you said they did well. Only one--my dad--is what one might call a veteran actor (he's been in two of my earlier entries) so they were feeling pretty uncertain.

As for a camera, I've been watching all the DSLRs and tempted to pull the trigger on one but not feeling able to justify it. Maybe one of these days I'll just do it.

[Henry Williams]

Just taken delivery of the VG10 today so will let you know how it goes. Might be an alternative with the same lovely shallow DoF as the DSLR's but a more familiar form factor. It was that and the fact that I need a better length of continuous shooting than any of the DSLR's currently available can provide for my events work that really sold it to me.

[Alessio Summerfield]

I liked your main actor's charisma and I liked the funny/dark twist at the end. Very reminiscent of noire themes and Grand Theft Auto style humor (the video games, not the Ron Howard film).

I liked it. Nice short Lorinda.

[Henry Williams]

Really enjoyed the short, Lorinda. Great fun! The performance of your assassin was a particularly good mix of professional bravado and resigned embarrassment and really sold the film for me. Where did you find him at such short notice?

[Lorinda Norton]

Thanks for the thumbs up for Morgan the assassin, guys. I think he's feeling a little down about his debut--he's always wanted to try acting. Henry, he helped put a stamped concrete deck at my parent's home awhile back and we got to talking about making movies. I will tell him what you both said and cheer him up.

I don't know a thing about Grand Theft Auto video games, Alessio, but I bet Morgan does. :) As you may have noticed, I neither wrote nor directed this one--was mainly there for the technical side (although, I did step in several times because none of them had ever shot a movie).